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The integration of solarcellsinto construction materials, such roof tiles, isgaining traction. Nevertheless, solarcells' conversion efficiencyistemperature-dependent, and a high temperaturewouldlowerit. This study examines the functionality of mortar roof tilesthat have builtinsolarcells and safety glass. To control the temperature of the solar cells, phase modifying materials (P CM) are added to the first roof tiles at a concentration of 3% by weight.For solar roof tiles, the impact ofPhase change materials on the generation of solar-to-electrical power isassessed, and life cycle costanalysisiscarried out to determine the viabilityfrom an economicstandpoint.During six summerdays, the electricalenergy production of the solartileswith PCM appliedwas 4.1% higherthanthat of the tileswithout the component modification material. In contrast, during six winterdays, the improvementisbetween 2.2 and 4.3%. With the cost of the inverterincluded, the solar roof tileswith Phase change materials have an economicalpaybackperiod of 5.7 years. The application of Phase change materialsraises the initial cost of roof tiles by 1.2% ;nevertheless, the paybackperiodispredicted to bethreemonths shorter thanthat of the equivalentwithout PCM, given an overallimprovement in energy production of 4.1%.Whilemany countries are takingsteps to reducetheiremissions, the IEA’slatest report on global and carbonemissionsshowed an increase of 1.7 percent in emissionsyear-onyear2018 to 33.1 billion tons (IEA, 2019). Australia's 2018 increase in carbondioxideequivalentemissions of 0.7% raisesseriousconcerns about the countrysability to meetitsemissionreductioncommitmentunder the Paris Agreement (Cox, 2019).

Today, the industrial world is experiencing intense competition with challenges related to environmental issues, and the domestic paper industry is no exception. This study is a follow-up of the research conducted by Palupi et al. (2015) at Company X which, through an LCA study, found an acute water ecotoxicity value of 7.16 kPt, a chronic water ecotoxicity value of 6.5 kPt, and a soil human toxicity value of 2.69 kPt. However, that study did not come with a SWOT matrix. Therefore, using a desk study,the present study aimed to map a SWOT matrix. A desk study based on SWOT analysis from 12 international journals and two national journals sourced from Elsevier, IWA Publishing, MDPI Publisher, Taylor & Francis, and Garuda was used to determine the SWOT matrix. Desk studies have the objective of comprehensively evaluating published journal articles, books, and other sources on given problem domains.Based on the results of the study, some recommendations for actions on the internal and external factors of the company are offered, consiting of steps for the company to mitigate identified weaknesses and threats.This study found that most of the pulp and paper industry engaged in internal strengths and external opportunities and faced numerous internal weaknesses and external threats. Currently, Company X occupied the first quadrant (Growth), indicating that the company was in a highly profitable condition. The company was enjoying many strengths and opportunities. Therefore, it is critical for the company to use its strengths to capture opportunities to minimize its emissions to the environment and to implement LCA in the company.

Paper-based microfluidics offers a simple, cost-effective, and versatile platform for fluid manipulation and analysis. Despite significant advancements in paper fluidics, the flow control in paper channel remains a challenging task. In this regard, we have developed a flow delay channel in paper using rectangular tape patterns on the paper surface. We have investigated the effect of hydrophobic tape barriers with varying widths. The designing and cutting of the hydrophobic tape and paper channel was performed by CO2 laser machine using CorelDraw software. Once cut, the tape barriers were attached to the paper surface and then passed through the roller press machine for proper adhesion of tape pattern onto the paper’s surface. From experiments, we observed that by increasing the width of tape, the delay also increased. The hydrophobic tape on the paper surface caused resistance to the flowing fluid. Due to this surface resistance, flow velocity reduced, and the time delay increased. We believe that our novel approach will provide an alternative method of flow control for paper-based microfluidic devices and can be utilized in various food quality sensors and lateral flow devices.

This paper discusses the potential of paper-based microfluidic devices for affordable diagnostics, and the importance of flow control. We have explored the variation of the width of paper, effect of 2D flow, and altering the surface wettability of paper to increase the resistance to fluid flow by physicochemical barriers. We used Whatman filter paper No. 40 and No. 1, mustard oil, and oleic acid, to examine the fluid flow due to capillary forces. Moreover, the effect of increase in thickness of the storage reservoir to decrease flow rate in the paper was also investigated. The experiments provide valuable insights into the behavior of fluid flow in porous media, and the findings have important applications in biomedical diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

Contamination of recycled paper and board food packaging by mineral oil hydrocarbons caused several crises in the past years. Although the migration from paper and board to foodstuffs has been proved many times, the contamination mechanisms and causalities remain undetermined and face unresolved issues. This study takes part in the collaborative project FoodSafeBioPack, which aims at evaluating the migration of potentially carcinogenic polyaromatic molecules from recycled paper and board packaging to food. New chemical imaging methods are used to follow this contamination at the microscopic scale (fibers and fibrous network). The first images acquired of polyaromatic molecules distribution on fibers were used to develop a methodology that will help to follow their migration. The influence of using different solvents and molecules on the initial chemical potential is discussed. The description of the paper structure and initial conditions of transfer will support the development of a microscopic mass transfer model.

Madagascar undergoes, like all countries in the world, the effects of climate change. in fact, since the last 5 years, in the coastal regions and the basins, the temperature has raised from 2 to 2.5 ° and varies between 34 to 36 ° in the shadow during the rainy season and on the high hills, the temperature diminishes from 2 to 2.5 ° during the dry period and varies from 4 ° to 8 °. However, the structure of lodging of 60% of the people are not adapted to this temperature change. Particularly, in the coastal regions, the walls of the houses are made of sheet iron. The inside of these houses is very hot when the weather is hot and very cold when it is cold. The inhabitants can’t afford the houses made in bricks or breeze block and the natural sources of aggregates are in the process of exhaustion. In the other part, we have seen that tons of paper are ready to be burned at the administrative services (public treasury, public financing, universities, ...) and the newspaper publishers. So, it becomes a must to find another way to the construction materials, justifying in that case our research axis. This study aims at the developing of construction material based on recycled paper, binder and aggregate. It deals of picking up or gathering all waste of papers and outdates newspapers and transforming them into brick for building constructions. What’s more, papers have prominent thermal insulating properties. Our work is focused on the study of variants on the different manufacturing processes, the choice of binder, the preparation of the specimens with different binders and different dosages, the mechanical compression tests for different binders, the evaluation of thermal conductivity for different binders and the numerical simulation of the thermo mechanical behavior of samples. The result is a lightweight brick with good thermal insulation. Tests have also made it possible to declare that the material has acceptable mechanical properties : the compressive strength is 1.56 [N/mm2], higher than the value prescribed by the standard for lightweight concrete blocks for construction of 1.1 [N/mm2], the value of thermal conductivity is 0.114 [W/mK], ten times less conductive heat than concrete and it can replace glass wool for a double its thickness. The specific weight is 57.5 [kg/m2].The practical results were confirmed by finite element simulations.

Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV) are gradually becoming more popular in urban cities and buildings as it is able to effectively maintain the indoor air quality while also using minimal amounts of energy. The key component in the HRV is the Paper Heat Exchanger, which allows the heat exchange of indoor and outdoor air through a crossflow, while also filtering out stale air and dust particles. This article investigates the effect of manipulating the supply and exhaust air velocity on the enthalpy and temperature exchange efficiency of a paper heat exchanger. Data is obtained from experimental results, where the experiments are conducted in a test lab using heat recovery ventilators (HRV) installed with paper heat exchangers. Two paper heat exchangers from different suppliers were tested inside a HRV installed in an air conditioned room. The HRV fan speed was varied at a fixed interval of 0.5 m/s, and the air velocity was measured by using a wind speed meter. At the same time, a USB data logger was used to collect relative humidity and temperature of the air at the supply inlet, indoor air inlet, and return air outlet to determine temperature exchange efficiency and the enthalpy of air. The results of the testing shows that the HRV was able to achieve a temperature exchange efficiency of 47 to 63% and enthalpy exchange efficiency of 63 to 94% for PHEX-A, and a temperature exchange efficiency of 28 to 48% and enthalpy exchange efficiency of 57 to 85% for PHEX-B. The data shows that PHEX-A has higher efficiency than PHEX-B.

Heat Recovery Ventilator (VHR) is widely used nowadays as it is capable to maintain high Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) while minimizing the energy loss of indoor air through air-to-air heat exchanger principle. The main component that enables VHR to perform air-to-air heat exchange is known as Paper Heat Exchanger (PP-HEX). Hence, the objective of this research is to study and analyse the performance of a PP-HEX under different return and outdoor air temperatures as well as their effect on both enthalpy and temperature exchange efficiency. Moreover, some numerical models of VHR have been developed to optimize some complex cases and the numerical models are meant to reduce the physical experiments to analyze or improve complex cases in the future. To the best of the authors knowledge, there is no experimental data available from any sources to validate the numerical models. To address this issue, two different supplies of PP-HEX are tested with an actual VHR, and both PP-HEXs will be referred to as PP-HEX-A and PP-HEX-B due to confidentiality. Furthermore, the testing is conducted in a temperature-controlled testing laboratory and the testing conditions are set according to the ISO standard. The preliminary testing results show that the temperature exchange efficiency and enthalpy exchange efficiency of the PP-HEXs have the same trends while the outdoor air temperature is fixed and varying the temperature of indoor air. In contrary, the temperature exchange efficiency and enthalpy exchange efficiency of the PP-HEXs have the same trends while the indoor air temperature is fixed and varying the temperature of outdoor air as well. With the default voltage supplies (240V) to VHR and the setup conditions (according to the ISO Standard) of return air to be 27°C and outdoor air to be 35°C, the testing results show that PP-HEX-A has a temperature exchange efficiency and enthalpy exchange efficiency with a range of (37.97 – 40.28) % and (30.77 – 57.81) % respectively. While PP-HEX-B has a temperature exchange efficiency and enthalpy exchange efficiency with a range of (35.29 – 42.5) % and (39.6 – 55.93) % respectively.

This article reports the use of wastepaper pulp as a direct source of cellulose for producing superabsorbent polymer. The white papers obtained from the offices in Adamson University were cut into 1 inch square pieces and drenched with distilled water and borax. This procedure was done couple of times to achieve a pH of 8 and consistency of 1%-2%. Commercial cotton was used as control to compare and differentiate the properties and structures with the superabsorbent polymer (SAP). Various trials have shown the value of 60 acrylamide beads to produce SAP with optimum performance. FTIR analysis shows properties that are characteristics of cellulose-based SAP. In the present investigation, the influence of temperature, effect in varying salt concentrations, swelling rate and water retention at constant temperature were evaluated. The SAP’s maximum swelling capacity ranges from 0.6561 g to 1.0638 g regardless of the amount of NaCl used. The swelling rate of the SAP proves that it gets heavier with time. Hence, it can be implied that the ability of the SAP to retain water is good. The temperature dependence data revealed the sorption process was favorable at higher temperature. The SAP will absorb the highest amount of solution at 500C given that the solution is pure.

In this paper, the overall overview of concept of preservation regardless if it is preservation of physical records/archives or digital records/archives is discussed. The concept of the preservation discussed includes preventive preservation, restorative preservation, and content preservation. Then the concept of digital preservation. Furthermore, this paper highlighted the strategies and methods used in implementing the preservation of digital records/archives. The issues those are involved in the digital preservation implementation are also discussed.

Environmental and open public health aspects have an important and increasing role, especially in the exploration of natural fibers from recycle materials. The aim of this study is to synthesis cellulose from office waste paper and use it as a reinforcement filler to develop biocomposites. Epoxy reinforced kenaf fiber and cellulose composite were prepared in this study using polymer casting technique consisting of grinded kenaf fibre (natural fibre) 5% and epoxy 95% as reinforcement element. Cellulose was synthesized from recycled office papers and used as a filler to prepare cellulose/kenaf reinforced epoxy composite. Effect of cellulose to the mechanical properties of the composite were investigated. Samples were fabricated by weight percentage of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% of cellulose content. For mechanical properties impact test, Rockwell harness and tensile testings were conducted.

The design engineering is one of essential work in modern manufacturing environment. The optimization is principal technique to be used widely for searching the solution. However, primary process of optimization is to know the relation between design input parameters and target output. In this work, an artificial neural network (ANN) approach as an intelligent algorithm is proposed to construct the relation and also provides it in form of mathematic modeling. Even though the ANN modeling is so call a backblock due to difficulty to understand complicated equations, it is simply constructed by automate iteration process. A case of paper helicopter is used as an example of the application. The classical 2k Factorial design is used to provide an experiment plan to create training and testing data. 93 experiments are carried out. The architecture of ANN is set according to lowest Mean square error (MSE) of training and testing procedure. The result of 5-10-1 architecture has shown ability to accurately predict output, landing time, with MSE of 0.012. With such a highly quantitative accuracy of results, the developed model using the neural network approach can be used for finding the suitable input parameters to achieve a desired target output. In this case, the design of dimension (A) Depth of cut wing is 1.3 cm., (B) Length of wing is 12.9 cm., (C) Length of body is 9.0, (D) Width of body is 2.0 cm., and (E) Depth of cut body is 0 cm. yield the lowest area of a paper helicopter that can meet the target landing time, 2.85 + 5% second.

Flame spread over combustible solid must be precisely identify in fire hazard and this is the basic problem in fire safety engineering field. To explore the flame spread mechanism over combustible solid, the downward flame spread behaviour over paper and bagasse has been investigated in this experiment. It found that the combustion pattern for paper was slightly different from the bagasse on the front view and this was analysed through the observation. The result also showed that the flame spread rate for paper is higher compared to the flame spread rate for bagasse. It seem that, although bagasse is the combustible solid the rate of flame spread is lower and the usage of bagasse can help to control the flame spread.

Over 300 million tones of industrial wastes are being produced per annum by chemical and agricultural process in India. These materials pose problems of disposal and health hazards. The wastes like phosphogypsum, fluorogypsum and red mud contain obnoxious impurities which adversely affect the strength and other properties of building materials based on them. Out of several wastes being produced at present, the use of phosphogypsum, fluorogypsum, lime sludge, hypo sludge, red mud, and mine tailing is of paramount significance to protect the environment. Paper making generally produces a large amount of solid waste. Paper fibers can be recycled only a limited number of times before they become too short or weak to make high quality paper. It means that the broken, low-quality paper fibers are separated out to become waste sludge. All the inks, dyes, coatings, pigments, staples and ”stickies” (tape, plastic films, etc.) are also washed off the recycled fibers to join the waste solids. The shiny finish on glossy magazine-type paper is produced using a fine kaolin clay coating, which also becomes solid waste during recycling. This paper mill sludge consumes a large percentage of local landfill space for each and every year. Worse yet, some of the wastes are land spread on cropland as a disposal technique, raising concerns about trace contaminants building up in soil or running off into area lakes and streams. Some companies burn their sludge in incinerators, contributing to our serious air pollution problems. To reduce disposal and pollution problems emanating from these industrial wastes, it is most essential to develop profitable building materials from them. Keeping this in view, investigations were undertaken to produce low cast concrete by blending various ratios of cement with hypo sludge. This project is concerned with experimental investigation on strength of concrete and optimum percentage of the partial replacement by replacing cement via 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% and 70% of Hypo Sludge.

This article introduces the use of PCI software production day draw satellite is projective like production process, analyzes the key technologies in the production, summarizes the Suggestions to improve the quality of results, strengthen quality control method is proposed, for the day draw satellite orthogonal projection as mass production work has carried on the beneficial exploration.

The article deals with the issues and methods of teaching translation and interpretation of scientific and technical papers to engineering students from a linguistic point of view. The authors describe the concept and special features of technical translation as a professional activity compared to different kinds of translation. The paper analyzes stylistic, lexical and phraseological, and grammatical peculiarities of scientific and technical papers. Moreover, the authors suggest the main techniques of translating scientific and technical papers such as direct and indirect translation methods.

This paper presents a review of literature relating to Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) in Gas District Cooling plant. The gas district cooling plant uses either vapour compression process or absorption process for the chilled water generation. Both processes have impacts on the economic aspects as well as the contribution to CO2 emissions; thus, integration of the cost and environmental analysis of both processes are necessary. An extensive body of literature exists on both subjects, however, there is very limited number of available literature on the integration of LCC and LCA. The purpose of this review is to find the most suitable optimization model which can integrate the LCC and LCA to provide the best decision in choosing the most cost-effective and environment-friendly system. This review assesses the literature from thirty-four journals, research papers, and case reports from the year 1995 to 2017. The result of this review shows that the goal programming methodology is the appropriate method for integrating LCC and LCA because it provides the optimal decision in choosing the most cost-effective, environment-friendly system for the chilled water generation.

Bubble flow reactors (BFR) are commonly used for various industrial processes in the field of oil and gas production, pharmaceutical industries, biochemical and environmental engineering etc. The operation and performance of these reactors rely heavily on a range of hydrodynamic parameters; prominent among them are geometric configurations including gas injection geometry, operating conditions, mass transfer etc. A huge body of literature is available to describe the optimum design and performance of bubbly flow reactors with conventional bubble injection. Attempts were made to modify gas injection for improved efficiency of BFR’s. However, here instead of modifying the geometry of the gas injection, an attempt has been made to generate swirl bubbles for gaining larger mass transfer between gas and liquid. Here an exceptionally well thought strategies have been used in our numerical simulations towards the design of swirl injection mechanism, whose paramount aspect is to inhibit the rotary liquid motion but facilitates the swirl movement for bubbles in nearly stationary liquid. Our comprehension here is that the swirl motion can strongly affect the performance of bubbly reactor by identifying the changes in hydrodynamic parameters as compared to the conventional bubbly flows. In order to achieve this bubbly flow, an experimental setup has been designed as well as computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code was used with to highlight a provision of swirl bubble injection by rotating the sparger plate.

The flame-retarded paper-based polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wallcoverings were successfully prepared, using plant fiber paper as base material and adding inorganic flame retardants and flame-retarded plasticizer as additives. Flame retardancy, thermostability, smoke suppression and mechanical properties were tested regarding to the prepared wallcoverings. The results showed that 2ZnO·3B2O3·3.5H2O could improve flame retardancy and thermostability of paper-based PVC wallcoverings; plasticizer tricresyl phosphate increased flame retardancy of the prepared materials auxiliarily. Also, flame-retarded paper-based PVC wallcoverings with higher flame retardancy, smoke suppression and mechanical property was prepared using plant fiber paper with fix quantity of 90 g/m3 as base material, using 2ZnO·3B2O3·3.5H2O as inorganic flame retardant, and using tricresyl phosphate as plasticizer. For the flame-retarded paper-based PVC wallcoverings in this study, the limit oxygen index (LOI) reaches 32.3, maximal smoke density is 16.91 %, and the horizontal and longitudinal wet tensile strength reaches 1.38 kN·m−1 and 1.51 kN·m−1 respectively. Meanwhile, its flame retardancy meets the requirements about flame retardancy for material Class B1 listed in Chinese National Standards GB 8624-2012, Classification for burning behavior of building materials and products. This research creates an effective path to prepare paper-based PVC wallcoverings with high flame retardancy.

Recently, the best method to make the concrete industry more sustainable was using the waste materials to replace the natural resources. Currently waste paper sludge is a major economic and environmental problem in this country. In this research, the alternative method is to dwindle the usage of natural resources and the usage of cement in the construction. This method is to replace the usage of cement with the waste paper sludge ash (WPSA) and to use the recycle aggregate collected from the construction is used. The WPSA has ingredient likely cement such as self-cementation but for a low strength. The research was conducted at heavy laboratory UITM Pulau Pinang. Meanwhile, the WPSA is collected at MNI Industries at Mentakab, Pahang. The recycle aggregate is a separated half, which were fine aggregate and the coarse aggregate with the specific size. In this research, the ratio is divided into two (2) which is 1:1 and 1:2 for the aggregate and difference percentage levels of WPSA. The percentage levels of WPSA that use in this research are 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60%. A total of 36 cubes were prepared. Aim of this research is to develop a simple design approach for the mixture proportioning of WPSA and recycle concrete aggregate (RCA) within the concrete and to assess the effect of concrete mix with different percentage of WPSA and RCA ratio on the properties. It is found that the best design mix that achieves control low strength material (CLSM) is on 30% of WPSA with the ratio 1:2 on day 28 of compression test.

In recent years, there has been tremendous growth of interest in the utilization of non-wood based material to support the insufficient raw materials availability for the pulp and paper industry. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of 120 gsm linerboard and corrugated medium paper made from unbeaten durian rinds chemi-mechanical (CMP) pulp. The linerboard and corrugated medium paper were prepared and tested according to Malaysian Standards / International Organization for Standardization (MS ISO) and Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) standard methods. Based on the burst index (2.03 kPa.m2/g), RCT (1.97 N.m2/g) and CMT (129N), the linerboard and corrugated medium from CMP durian rind pulp have shown a good potential as an alternative raw material for papermaking and comparable with other types of wood and non-wood based papers as well as current commercial papers.

Demands for small-scale and low-cost robots have witnessed a great increase in recent years [1–5]. This paper introduces the design and fabrication of a novel, simple, low-cost and designer-friendly locomotive robot. The materials and tools to build the robot originate from everyday life. The robot is pneumatically powered and manually controlled by simply pumping and vacuuming the syringe repeatedly, which realizes reliable locomotion by folding and opening of the planes. In order to realize this complicated motion, a “3D Sticky Actuator” is developed. The motion and force analysis of actuator are then modelled by the numerical method to develop the relations between design parameters. This suggests a systematic and user interactive way of manufacturing various shapes of the actuator, depending on user-defined road condition (e.g. obstacles and slopes) and other constraints. One key advantage of the paper-based robot is suggested by its high feasibility.

In recent year, Full-Color LED Lighting that can be changed to various color such as red, green, blue has been appeared with development of LED Lighting. By Color-Lighting control, users affected such as concentrating and relaxing. Therefore, Color-lighting control will spread to various place such as home, offices, stations. However color-lighting control affected some disturbance such as daylight, display when Full-Color LED controlled indoors. Also, information devices control get difficult with information technology develop. I propose Color-Lighting Control System using Colored Paper User Interface(CLC/CPUI). The purpose of CLC/CPUI is that anyone can intuitively control Full-Color LED Lighting. CLC/CPUI uses colored paper as user interface by sensing the paper. CLC/CPUI realizes lighting color that user demanded to do feedback control. I conduct accuracy verification experiment of CLC/CPUI.

The existence of squatters had caused many issues including poverty, increasing social problems, drug addiction, criminal and low education level. Sadly, the State of Johor is still among a few other states in Peninsular Malaysia with the highest numbers of squatter families. These squatter settlements are not only inhabited by the local people, but consist of foreigners too. The environmental condition is not fitting, with poor sewage system and unplanned housing construction. Consequently, these issues had caused bad images and perception to the general public, as well as to the tourists. In Malaysia, Resettlement Programme is one of the most significant mechanisms in tackling squatters" settlements issue. Hence, the Johor State Government had taken various approaches in trying to eradicate the squatter settlements by relocating them to new locations with planned and better housing. This conceptual paper aims to examine the current literature and assess previous similar study in order to establish an understanding of the crucial provision of resettlement area in trying to eliminate squatters. It employs a qualitative design through assessment related literature and studies. The results confirmed for a further review of resettlement program. Findings from this study further suggest a comprehensive study of the issues revealed.

This paper reports the properties of newly developed electrically conductive natural fiber paper sheet made up of kenaf fiber (KF) incorporated with polyaniline coated kenaf fiber (KF-PANI). This study proposed on dispersion of conductive filler in different amount (wt %) into kenaf pulp for developing different electrical conductivity. The conductive sheet (KF/KF-PANI) revealed a percolation concentration at 25 wt% of KF-PANI. Its scanning electron micrograph showed good paper formation with no significant damages.

Due to the ubiquitous trend of product miniaturization, energy saving and weight reduction, micro/meso-scale parts have been widely used in many industrial clusters. Micromanufacturing processes for production of such micro/meso-scale parts are thus critically needed. Microforming, as one of these micro manufacturing processes, is a promising process and thus got many explorations and researches. Compared with the research on size effect affected deformation behaviours, less attention has been paid to the process development for mass production of micro-parts. The product quality and fabrication productivity of micro-parts depend on the involved process chain. To address the difficulty in handling and transporting of the micro-sized workpiece, development of a progressive microforming process for directly fabricating bulk micro-parts using sheet metals seems quite promising as it avoids or facilitates billet handling, transportation, positioning, and ejection in the process chain. In this paper, an intensive review on the latest development of progressive microforming technologies is presented. First of all, the paper summarizes the characteristic of progressive microforming directly using sheet metal. The size effect-affected deformation behaviour and the dimensional accuracy, deformation load, ductile fracture, and the surface finish of the microformed parts by progressive microforming using sheet metals are then presented. Finally, some research issues from the implementation of mass production perspective are also discussed.

A major problem arising from the widespread use of forestry biomass and processed timber waste as fuel is related to the production of significant quantities of ash as a by-product from the incineration of such biomasses. A major portion (approximately 70%) of the wood waste ash produced is land-filled as a common method of disposal. If the current trend continues with waste products, such as paper mill sludge landfills, a large amount of space would be required by 2020. A revenue study was conducted as a result of investigations into the use of paper mill sludge as recycled materials and additives in concrete mixes for use in construction projects. The study had to provide the assurance that the concrete produced had the correct mechanical strength. Concrete mixes containing paper mill sludge were prepared, and their basic strength characteristics such as the compressive strength, flexural strength, ultra pulse velocity and dynamic modulus elasticity were tested. Four concrete mixes, i.e. a control mix, and a 10%, 20%, and 30% mix of paper mill sludge as cement replacement for concrete were prepared with a DoE mix design by calculating the weight of cement, sand and aggregate. The performance of each concrete specimen was compared with the strength of the control mix. As a result, when the percentage of paper mill sludge in the concrete increased, the strength decreased. Overall, a high correlation was observed between density and strength of the concrete containing paper mill sludge.

Turin Shroud (TS) is a linen cloth 4.4 m long and 1.1 m wide which shows two, front and back images of a man scourged, crowned with thorns and crucified, who died on a cross and was stabbed in the side with a lance after his death. The Catholic Christian tradition identifies this Man as Jesus Christ resurrected after dead, but not all are unanimous in this identification, partly because science has not been able to give definitive answers. To try to improve a bit the inconclusive answers to which the Science is arrived, a Research Project entitled: “Multidisciplinary analysis applied to the Turin Shroud: study of the body image, of possible ambient pollution and of micro-particles capable to characterize the linen fabric.” has been assigned by the University of Padua (Italy) to the Author, who performed various studies on this theme in collaboration with other experts, also of other Italian Universities. In reference to the body image, that is not explainable by Science nor reproducible up to now, experimental tests based on Corona Discharge, produced by intense electric fields, have shown that it is possible to reproduce many of these very peculiar image features. Regarding the TS dating, after the demonstration that the 1988 radiocarbon result is not statistically reliable, probably because of environmental pollution, alternative dating methods based on chemical and mechanical tests showed that its age is compatible with the period in which Jesus Christ lived in Palestine.

In the context of sustainable development and continuous improvement, it can be stated that the implementation of an integrated quality management in a modern organization can only be achieved under the conditions of implementing a series of concepts, among which we can mention knowledge management, total quality management, Kaizen management and related standards, quality management strategies and policies but also quality management techniques, methods, and tools. The scientific paper presents an own point of view regarding the pathway for a sustainable implementation of the previously presented concepts in an organization in the automotive field. The aspects identified in a real organization in the automotive industry are presented as well as the way considered to be possible to implement so that the organization can be considered a knowledge-based organization. In this context, the role of management in the organization is extremely important and value analysis becomes a priority. The main objective of the scientific paper is to propose a certain way of managerial thinking so that those interested can apply the quality management strategies and policies proposed for the sustainable implementation of total quality management within an organization based on knowledge in the automotive field.

The gig economy, characterized by its flexible work arrangements and independent contractors, has witnessed rapid growth in recent years. However, it faces sustainability challenges related to worker welfare, income security, and job classification. This paper explores the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the gig economy and its potential impact on these sustainability concerns. Through an analytical lens, it examines the current applications of AI in the gig economy across various platforms and tasks, highlighting both efficiencies and potential biases.The anticipated effects of AI on gig workers including job displacement, skill requirements, and potential for wage changes.The implications of AI for the sustainability of the gig economy, analyzing how it might exacerbate existing challenges or pave the way for improvements in worker protections and platform governance.Potential policy considerations and recommendations to ensure a more sustainable and equitable gig economy in light of AI integration. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of AI's potential in the gig economy, advocating for proactive measures to address potential disruptions and harness its capabilities to create a more sustainable and rewarding future for the flexible workforce.

The paper presents the study of mechanical recycling of three-layer PP/EVOH/PP packaging containers made by the co-injection molding process. It is in alignment with European Circular Economy guidelines. The main objective was to evaluate the recyclability of these packages and their reuse as a secondary material. Thin wall packaging by special cutting and grinding methods were disintegrated, and recorded cutting force allowed the determination of energy per single cut. During these processes, delamination between PP and EVOH layers was observed. The recyclate r(PP/EVOH) was used to produce samples in the standard injection molding process. The similar samples were prepared from recycled virgin PP using the same technology. The paper presents the results of the mechanical properties of samples manufactured from recyclate r(PP/EVOH) and compares them with the properties of samples obtained from recycled polypropylene (rPP). It was observed, that the content EVOH in the PP matrix does not significantly affect the mechanical properties of r(PP/EVOH) samples. It was also found that r(PP/EVOH) blends are characterized by favorable apparent viscosity and MFI and can be a valuable raw material for reuse.

About 99% of sulphur dioxide present in the atmosphere comes from anthropogenic activities, the main source being industrial activity that processes sulphur materials, including burning fuels (coal, oil or gas), thus releasing sulphur dioxide into the air. The purpose of this paper is to monitor the concentration of sulphur dioxide during two seasons, in the ambient air of Petroșani, with the aim of highlighting the possible atmospheric pollution caused by thermal power plants that use solid fuel during the winter period. The monitoring periods were distributed over a period of 6 months (three in summer and three in winter), namely the summer months (May, June, July of 2022), the winter months of December (2022), January and February of 2023. The main objective of the measurements is to identify if there is an increase in sulphur dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, resulting from the burning of solid fuels from household activities during the winter period. Results indicate that there is a higher degree of SO2 pollution in the winter period, but the recorded values are far below the limits set by national legislation. The paper presents some measures to limit sulphur dioxide pollution in the context of climate change.

When transporting and storing liquid fuels, explosive atmospheres can form which, under certain conditions, can be initiated with different sources, of which static electricity has proven to be the source of ignition in many cases of fires and explosions that have occurred. As a result of the environmental regulatory requirements to reduce the noxes emitted by diesel engines, the oil industry introduced into production fuels with ultra-low sulfur content (ULSD Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel), clean burning diesel, and low sulfur content (LSD Low Sulfur Diesel). The new types of fuels present a greater risk of explosion than fuels with a high sulfur content because they have other explosive characteristics and are electrostatically charged much more easily. The paper presents some aspects regarding the risk of explosions during the transport and storage of liquid fuels with the highlighting of additional risks in the case of ULSD Also, the paper highlights the factors that must be taken into account when establishing the technical and organizational measures that must be taken to prevent ignition and that must be implemented in the work procedures of manufacturers, suppliers, transporters and users of ULSD.

The purpose of this paper is to present the importance of the specific tests for electric motors with type of protection increased safety „e” designed to be used in explosive atmosphere. This paper presents the voltage impulse ignition test applicable to electric motors with increased safety protection type. Due to the fact that electric motors with type of protection Increased Safety, whose supply voltage exceeds 1000 V, presents a high risk of sparks occurring in windings, it is necessary to perform tests to verify that the insulation of the windings is adequate and does not lead to electric discharge (through electric springs or sparks) at winding levels Evaluation of explosion-proof protected electrical equipment in scope of certification is extremely important considering the risk of explosion that has to be minimized in order to ensure life safety and health of workers and to prevent damaging of property and the environment, as well as free movement of goods when they meet the essential safety requirements at European level. The standard SR EN 60079-0 (Explosive atmospheres Part 0: General requirements) and one or more of the standards containing the specific requirements for the type(s) of protection applied to equipment (ex. SR EN 60079-7 for the type of protection increased safety “e”), are used to perform the assessment.

The paper presents the implementation of a feedback loop controller for the suction valves used within the gas compressors skids manufactured by Romanian Research and Development Institute for Gas Turbines COMOTI. These compressors are installed at beneficiaries, in potentially explosive environments (e.g., gas extraction and transportation applications). The proposed solution addresses the problems observed due to the high suction pressures of screw compressors, which may occur at start-up or during operation, leading to failed start-ups or emergency shutdowns. An automatic sequence implemented in the control software and displayed on the operating panel, could assist the operator during high suction pressures (above 1.2 bar). These pressure conditions normally lead to alarm limits and to performing an automatic shutdown sequence for protecting the compressor. The paper herein discusses the implementation of a start-up sequence in the programmable logic controller’s software, which can be applied without critical interventions on the compressor packages, only through minor control software modifications which can safely extend the inlet pressure range and the exploitation of the compressors. Thus, since no hardware modifications are required, we also ensure maintaining the ATEX certifications of equipment and assemblies.

The paper presents the estimation of the uncertainty in the measurement of the maximum surface temperature of voltaic cells exposed to specific tests for the type of intrinsic safety protection. For this purpose, equivalent test conditions using the short-circuit test stand are considered. In the first part, the risk of explosion is presented and it is mentioned that the risk of explosion arises due to the presence of technical equipment in areas where flammable substances may be present. In the second part, the requirements for testing cells are briefly presented. It also introduces the configuration of the stand used for testing. The third part of the paper was devoted to presenting and discussing the results obtained. The analysis of the test results revealed that the measurement uncertainty depends on the test conditions and the application of the temperature sensors. This result would help estimate the surface temperature of cells considering the favorable conditions in terms of minimum uncertainty.

Heat is normally generated as a result of metabolic processes taking place in the body. As a result of muscle activity, when working or exercising, a considerable amount of heat is released. The amount of heat generated is proportional to the intensity of activities. Intervention and rescue activities in special conditions can be carried out exclusively by personnel trained and authorized in this regard, personnel using individual breathing protection equipment. The decisive factor in ensuring the success of an intervention and rescue operation in toxic or chemically aggressive environments resides in the optimal and efficient design of a training process of personnel, in correlation, among others, with their testing in high temperatures and humidity environments. The current paper presents the structuring of rescuers’ physical effort during training, taking into account high temperature and humidity environments, structuring that aims to make the training process of intervention and rescue personnel in toxic / explosive / flammable environments more efficient. The paper analyses a correlation between changes in the physiological parameters of intervention and rescue personnel and different values of temperature and humidity of the training environment.

Lightning strikes pose a significant threat to photovoltaic (PV) systems, which are increasingly utilized for renewable energy generation. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the potential risks associated with lightning strikes on PV systems and explores various protection measures to enhance their resilience. The study delves into the characteristics of lightning and its interaction with PV installations, identifies vulnerabilities within the system, and discusses the principles and techniques for effective lightning protection. The paper emphasizes the importance of comprehensive risk assessment, surge protection devices, grounding systems, and maintenance practices to mitigate the damaging effects of lightning strikes. By implementing appropriate protection strategies, PV system owners and designers can safeguard their installations and ensure the longevity and reliability of their renewable energy infrastructure.

This paper presents an overview of the standardization activity in the field of explosive atmospheres both at the national and international level, as well as the evolution of this activity in different areas related to these explosive atmospheres. In the first part of the paper, the aspects regarding explosion risk, explosion prevention and protection, classification of explosive atmospheres, as well as factors influencing explosion protection are briefly presented. In the second part of the paper, the context of standardization at the national level is presented together with the reference institutions in the field of standardization for or in relation to explosive atmospheres. On this occasion, the international institutions that administer the standards that have an impact in the field of regulations for explosive atmospheres at the national level are also presented. In the last part of the paper, the analysis carried out for several representative standards in the field of explosion protection is presented, from the point of view of the significant changes made in the current edition compared to the previous edition.

The paper analyzes the technical and safety factors for the storage of different gaseous products (air, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methan gas, etc.), in the eligible salt caverns from Romania, especially in the compact salt caverns created by dillution process. This new approach to research and project results, will be an important contribution to the evaluation of large-scale storage capacities in Romania and is necessary for decision-makers to consider these technologies as some of the most appropriate in terms of risks. Especially was studied the geological and lithological diagrams and colected data from the conserved salt mines in order to analyze the storage conditions. The paper analized the Slanic river area, a Trotus tributarry, where disollution method was well implemented, near Targu Ocna town, Bacau County, Romania. The mining area is located near a well-known industrial center for chemical processing, Borzesti Chemical Works, with a great interes in the gas storage facilities. The storage of different gases implies different technologies for gas compression and gas transportation, this beeing in the near future a new challenge for research for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In today's context, training in the field of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) has become essential due to the increase in the number of employees and the diversification of industries. Globalization and the accelerated technologization of jobs have imposed the need to adapt and continuously update knowledge in this field. At the same time, the covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in interest in online training, making access to quality information and training easier for more people, regardless of location. Thus, occupational health and safety training faces new challenges and opportunities in terms of course delivery and accessibility. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the online training system in the field of OSH are presented, as they emerge both from the specialized literature and from the authors' own experience. This paper also provides a number of recommendations for improving the online OSH training system at the national level.

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) are modern photovoltaic (PV) modules which are integrated into the building’s envelope. Usually, these devices replace the conventional roofing system, but they may be also integrated into the facade. The modules integration has a significant advantage in limiting the overall cost of the construction. Furthermore, building integrated photovoltaics, in comparison to non-integrated ones, don’t require stand-alone systems or allocation of land. This paper presents the state-of-the-art review regarding the existing BIPVs technologies. Also, in the second part of the paper, future research directions are discussed.

Lattice structures are useful in the automotive, biomedical, and aerospace engineering fields because of their good mechanical properties. The efficacy with which their geometries are designed influences their load-bearing capacity. The methods of generating different types of lattice structures have not been clearly outlined in literature. Furthermore, their applicability and shortcomings in trying to mimic biological cellular structures remain to be well investigated. In this paper, numerous types of lattice structures prevalent in literature are highlighted and their tessellation described. The paper also explores the application of lattice structures in terms of their capabilities and limitations, in mimicking cellular structures in nature.

Impeller castings are some of the most critical components used in engineering applications with complex designs. The high-quality production of their sand mould is essential to ensure optimal casting properties. Three-dimensional printing is an appropriate modern technology that can manufacture such moulds at a shorter production lead time than traditional methods. This paper assesses the technical and economic feasibility of producing the impeller sand mould for casting a mining impeller pump using a Voxeljet VX1000 printer available locally. The methodology includes the use of casting simulation and the application of the financial payback period method. This paper provides a practical case study of the theoretical assessment of rapid sand casting projects. The payback period showed the rapid sand casting process for printing impeller sand mould using the VX1000 printer is feasible for adoption by the local foundry industry as the initial investment is recovered within the 5 years of the projected cash flows.

This paper’s focus is the identification of ethical guidelines for bioprinting for humans in addition to existing bioethical principles and guidelines. The literature review explores the definitions for additive manufacturing and bioprinting and the application extent of these technologies. From this review, ethical challenges were identified and discussed. The purpose of the paper is to guide scientific research, practitioners, and relevant healthcare workers through various ethical viewpoints, and to point out the consequence and effects when applying newly discovered technology. Due to the complexity of bioprinting, additional guidelines were identified to cover the scope of bioprinting in bioethics. Consequently, four sets of ethical guidelines for decision-making in bioprinting were identified with person-centred ethics at the core of these sets.

For all the deployment of the non-fossil energy sources the steam turbine remains the most important energy transforming device. In the current situation when the daily operation of the turbines is not predictable due to electricity supply from the photovoltaic and the wind power plants, the turbines work in the non-design conditions, the danger of the blade’s erosion caused by the coarse droplets is assumed. The purpose of this paper is to suggest the possible formation process of the coarse droplets in the steam turbine. The current studies were focused mostly on the measurement or identification of the coarse droplets in the steam turbine, but the explanation of the archived results was not sufficient. An analysis of the droplets formed in the wind tunnel indicates, for the majority of the measurements, the part of the formed droplets is bigger than the critical Weber number limit. Similar, but less detail, experience was achieved for measurement in the steam turbine. This paper introduces simple analysis of the optically measured coarse droplets size distribution with the modelled flow field behind the blade fitted by measured velocity field. A detailed hot wire measurement was performed in the vicinity of the trailing edge where the liquid film is disrupted to the coarse droplets.

The development of cracks is a regular phenomenon that causes water and various chemicals to seep into the structure reducing the strength and longevity of the building. The intrusion of external materials might affect the reinforcements when exposed to moisture and CO2 exposure, degrading the structure. Regular maintenance and treatments are needed to fix the cracks and maintain the structure. Research is in progress identifying solutions to these issues with active and self-processes in concrete which aids in repairing the cracks by generating calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles which could seal the porosity of concrete and micro-cracks. Various bacteria like Bacillus pasteurii, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cohnii and Bacillus sphaericus are chosen for the crack sealing treatment as those bacteria could survive in an alkaline medium. Distinct species of bacteria have various growth conditions. Bacterial self-healing treatments were situated in an environment containing various minerals and chemicals at a constant temperature and for a specific amount of time to develop healing properties. This paper investigates the different experimental works studied on self-healing processes in large concrete samples with different sizes and materials. Studies revealed that bacteria enhanced the systemic toughness, flow ability, durability, and flexural modulus of normal concrete. This paper also investigates the different mathematical formulations established to examine the stress-strain behaviour of bacterium, which has been utilized to increase the strength of concrete.

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge from German research work Deutscher Ausschuss für Stahlbeton and from author’s experiences, to improve the reliability of cable ducts grouting. The complete and reliable filling of post-tensioned tendons with grout is necessary to protect the prestressing steel against corrosion and for bond between prestressing steel and the concrete structure, which is in both limit states applied. Diagnostics of bridges built in the last century showed the cases of faulty grouting of cable ducts. These faults are cause of corrosion prestressing steel often. Based on these diagnostics, bridges are after 35 to 70 years of service life demolished, although service life of these bridges was to 100 years declared. In the studied research work were investigated the effects of individual components, procedures and conditions of the grout and results of grouting investigated. Tests have been performed both on the experiment cable ducts and the real structures. Based on this paper, certain principles have been recommended that aim to prevent grouting faults and to improve the reliability of the grouting. In these recommendations are suggestions of controls of grouting included.

Cities represent a massive area of dense materials that accumulate heat, do not retain rainwater, and therefore create an unpleasant condition for life. Many countries apply green roofs as an effective and practical tool to mitigate the adverse effects of urbanization. They are often designed as intensive and extensive. In recent years, a lot of research has been done on green roofs for a better understanding of their behavior in different conditions. In recent years, experimental green roofs have also started emerging in Slovakia. At the same time, the idea of restoring vegetation to industrial zones with help of such construction was made. The paper focuses on the latest planned phase of the project for the greening of an office building with an adjacent area in an industrial zone. Phase five consists of the design of a biodiverse green roof that will provide an alternative habitat for fauna and flora. The main elements of the design are the compositions of green and wetland roofs. Moreover, the paper summarizes the already implemented phases of the project.

The paper deals with prototyping a kinematic measurement system for digitizing indoor environments of buildings. The scanning system itself consists of several sensors for localization (inertial measurement unit, rotary encoders and a stereo camera), while its main part is a Velodyne lidar. The procedure of data processing is performed by an algorithm for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). The paper describes the hardware of the measurement system. Part of the contribution is the proposal of a series of tests evaluating the quality of the prototype of the mobile mapping system. The tests verify the accuracy of length measurement, the accuracy of the determination of the inclination of the measuring system, and the accuracy of the lidar position determination.